John Rebchook is a former Rocky Mountain News reporter with more than 30 years of experience in writing and communications... Sterling Ranch, a proposed master-planned community on one of the last major “infill” sites in Douglas County, has added another 415 acres of land to accommodate additional commercial, retail, office and research facilities that will bring more jobs to the community in the Chatfield Basin.
The additional land increases the size of Sterling Ranch by more than 13 percent to about 3,500 acres. The land also will improve wildlife corridors, reduce density, serve as a buffer, and assure more water storage space. The last is especially critical because the developers of Sterling Ranch plan to make it a model for water conservation for master-planned communities.
$4 billion, 4,000 jobs
Neither the number of new jobs nor the amount of square feet associated with the additional 415 acres have been calculated at this time. But there is no doubt Sterling Ranch will have a huge economic impact. It’s total build-out costs are estimated at $3 billion to $4 billion, over the next two decades. It is expected to take 4,000 construction workers to build it and when completed, it will be responsible for creating in the neighborhood of 8,000 jobs. The proposed development is expected to have an economic and fiscal impact of more than $435 million annually, according to Development Research Partners, headed by economist Patty Silverstein.
Anti-sprawl
The additional land also allows Sterling Ranch to decrease the proposed housing density, provide a softer buffer to existing neighborhoods and secure water storage. Sterling Ranch’s goal has always been to become one of the nation’s most frugal water-use communities using innovative conservation methods. This will be reflected in a highly sustainable model for future development in the New West.
Created by a family of Colorado natives, Sterling Ranch will preserve more than 37 percent of the land as open space and parks, located less than 30 minutes from downtown Denver. The plan is to avoid sprawl and preserve a large percentage of the natural landscape for wildlife migration by clustering homes in seven walkable villages with bike and horse trails.
“This additional land completes several important wildlife corridors in northwest Douglas County,” said Sterling Ranch member Jack Hoagland. “The new land also answers the county planning commission’s request that we bring together as many nearby parcels as possible at one time to create a more cohesive land plan.”
It’s a family affair
The partners—Harold Smethills, his wife, Diane, and her brother Jack Hoagland—expect Sterling Ranch to use one-third of the water that Douglas County has historically required for a development of its size. Sterling Ranch will use the latest water-wise techniques and Colorado’s most sustainable water conservation methods. This water science has been proven in neighboring states and in smaller projects in Colorado.
Sterling Ranch’s development team will amend its plan on file with Douglas County to reflect the addition of the new property.
Sterling Ranch is south of Chatfield Reservoir, west of Hwy. 85 (South Santa Fe Drive) and north and east of the Roxborough community. For more details, visit this link.
Contact John Rebchook at JRCHOOK@gmail.com or 303-945-6865.
I live in Roxborough village and can say that this is going to be huge for the area. It's going to be the biggest thing since The Meadows in Castle Rock!